@article{ref1,
title="How and why do you declare a major incident?",
journal="Prehospital and disaster medicine",
year="2008",
author="Smart, Colin John and Maconochie, Ian",
volume="23",
number="1",
pages="70-75",
abstract="INTRODUCTION: The decision to declare a major incident (MI) is not one to be taken lightly, but a delay in doing so may have dire consequences. The aim of this study was to ascertain what factors make specialists from a variety of professional backgrounds in the United Kingdom determine from an initial visual assessment of a scene that a MI should be declared. METHODS: Participants were presented with three different scenarios, which were presented pictorially. Their responses were noted. RESULTS: One hundred seventy-eight professionals took part in this study. For Scenario 1 (a road traffic incident), 101 (57%) declared a MI. For a coach rollover in Scenario 2, a MI was declared by 82 (46%) people, and a MI was declared by 156 (87%) for a rail crash in Scenario 3. Forty-six participants had attended a MI previously. The results for declaring a MI in this group were: (1) Scenario 1, 25 (54%); (2) Scenario 2, 25 (54%); and (3) Scenario 3, 44 (96%). Of this group, 44 had previously had training before experiencing the MI. Those who had&gt;or = 10 years of service in emergency services were more likely to declare a MI in Scenario 2 and 3. CONCLUSIONS: The main problem with the existing system is the interpretation and subjective nature of the word &quot;major&quot;. Specialists incorporate many individual factors into using the word. Future research should focus on the development of a system tied to more objective analysis.   <p></p>  <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1049-023X",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}